Proportions of a Head

The Proportions of a Head - 1

Proportions of a Head 1

Although the proportions of a head will vary from person to person and change slightly with age, there are some basic principles you can follow to improve your drawing. You can use these to check the general size, shape and position of features in your drawings.

If you view a head from the front, its width is approximately two thirds of its height.

If you view a head from the side, its width is approximately seven eighths of its height.

Proportions of a Head 2

The proportions of the head can be divided horizontally into four equal quarters.

The first quarter measures from the top of the head down to the hairline.

The second quarter measures from the hairline down to the eyes in the middle of the head.

The third quarter contains most of the features. At the top of this section the eyes are usually level with the ears, and at the bottom the nose is roughly level with the ear lobes.

The final quarter stretches from the base of the nose to the chin with the mouth positioned just above the half way mark.

These proportions will only work if we share the same eye level as the subject. They will become distorted if we view the head from above or below.


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